Ninja Turtles: The Shell Chronicles
by J.W. Zagst
Summary: A new and interesting take on the Ninja Turtle mythos, starting from the very beginning. The boys find themselves in the company of a teenage April O'Neil, set in a story much darker than other mainstream incarnations of the team.
1. Something Ninja This Way Comes

**Chapter 01: Something Ninja This Way Comes**

Four young boys sat before their father as he prepared to tell them the story of their pasts. They stared at him with hopeful eyes, bright with anticipation and yearning. This situation would seem normal enough, but those involved were far from it - the boys were turtles, and the father was a rat.

"You boys are becoming very smart," said the rat father, his voice thick with a Japanese accent. He was rather short, covered in grayish brown fur, and dressed in a light brown robe, a kimono. He leaned upon his staff as he continued. "You have barely reached the age of seven and already so curious as to your past?"

"Yes, Master Splinter," said Donatello, "We are all very curious to know how it is we have the shape of the humans yet look so different."

"Yeah, you know, I'm all excited and all," said Michelangelo, "but can we make this fast? I kinda wanna get back to my video game."

"Be quiet, Mikey!" whispered Leonardo, "Let Master Splinter finish." He turned and glared as Raphael snorted, then stuck his tongue out at him. Raph then leaned forward and poked Leo hard in the arm.

"Master Splinter, Raph poked me!" cried the young Leo, pointing at his brother.

"You tattletale!" spat Raph, pointing back.

"Well, you're a poopyface!" retorted Leo.

"Takes one to know one, loser!" yelled back Raph.

"Hey, hey, you know what?" cried Mikey, jumping to his feet. "You're BOTH poopyfaces! Hahahaha!" he fell back onto his shell laughing.

Donatello sighed to himself as Master Splinter scolded the others. _I can't believe these guys are my brothers..._

Once everyone was silent, Splinter continued. "The truth is... Well, you used to be normal turtles, and I used to be a normal rat. I was a pet of my master, Hamato Yoshi, who was a great Ninja Master. I mimicked his movements when he trained, and thus learned the basics of Ninjutsu. Then, following a series of events I'd rather not discuss, I ended up homeless here in the sewers of New York. It was then that I happened across you four, and together we ended up soaked in a green sticky ooze."

Splinter paused to take a sip of tea, then continued. "Whatever that ooze was, it changed all of us. Made us bigger, stronger, and smarter. By the time I was intelligent enough to know what was happening to us, a rainstorm had washed the ooze away, and I had no way of investigating further. That is how we came to be. I discovered a broken sewer wall leading to this sealed off basement, and turned it into our home."

"No, that can't be it!" exclaimed Donny. "There has to be more to it than that! I can't believe we are merely products of a freak accident! I won't!"

"I am sorry, my son," said Splinter, patting the boy on the head, "but that is all there is to tell. The past is but a memory - it does not define who we are. Our actions and the future we create for ourselves determine that."

Don sighed and then nodded. "Yes, Sensei."

"The last time we went to the junkyard, you seemed quite interested in that old computer. Why not focus your attention on that? It will help you keep your mind off the past." Splinter suggested as the other boys went off to do their own things.

"Well, I was able to get it up and running with a little help from those old computer books, but there are no cool games on it. I've heard about the local library, and they have computers for public use there, but since I can't go topside alone..."

"Hmm..." Splinter thought for a moment. "You are very smart for your age, Donatello. Only seven, yet you speak sometimes as if you were an adult. I suppose I can grant you a little more freedom. A few days a week I will walk with you to the library and let you stay there by yourself for a few hours. But you are not to leave until I return for you each day. Understood?"

Donny's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes Master Splinter! Thank you, thank you!" He jumped up and hugged his father, then ran to go play with his brothers.

_If they knew the whole truth, the real secret behind their mutation, they would be horrified. They must never learn the reasons for their creation._Splinter thought to himself, sighing and shaking his head.

**_~EIGHT YEARS LATER~_**

It was a clear summer night in New York City. Along one of the busy streets, there stood a man in baggy clothes at a phone booth. He looked like a large man and had a thick beard, sunglasses, and the hood of his sweater pulled up over his head.

"Okay, so you got that? Three large pizzas with the works, and no anchovies, dude. What? The total is what? Your prices are getting crazy, man." Mikey said into the phone, then hung it up. He skateboarded around the area for a half hour until the pizza dude showed up at the small hotel down the street.

"Is that for room 201?" Mikey asked the pizza dude.

"Uh, yes, yes it is."

"I'm in that room, I'll just take it out here."

"And, um, what was the name on the order?" the pizza guy asked, slightly nervous.

"Angelo. Michael Angelo. That's me, dude."

"Oh, okay, yes, the name does match."

Mikey paid the dude, waited until he was out of sight, then skateboarded down an alley and hopped down a sewer entrance. Careful not the drop the pizzas, he made his way through several sewer pipes and pulled open the wooden door that was placed over the hole in the wall leading to their basement home. At some point in the past, the basement had been sealed off from the building above it, which was now a storage facility. Luckily, it was still equipped with electricity.

"Dinner is served!" yelled Mikey, setting the pizzas on the dining room table and taking a piece to eat on the way to his room.

The basement had been part of the storage facility, and had several units. There were enough for Splinter and each turtle to have their own room, and they had knocked out a wall between two units to make it the training hall. The central lobby area of the basement had been turned into their living area, including a den, kitchen, and dining room. By donning disguises, they had made frequent trips to the junkyards on the surface and over the years found everything they could possibly need. They also fixed up what they didn't need and sold them to get a little cash.

Mikey walked into his room and stripped down out of his clothes, fake beard, and mask, glad to be free of them. His walls were covered with rock band and video game posters, and he finally had his own TV after finding it at the junk yard a few months back. He managed to sell enough other junk to buy some new video games from a local pawn shop, which he played constantly in his room.

The video game loving turtle went and knocked on Raph's door, letting him know dinner was ready. His room had mostly rap and hip hop posters on the walls, save for a few images of nature scenes.

Next was Leo's room, which had Japanese ornaments and artifacts all over the walls, much like Splinter's. He generally played meditative music in his room.

Donny's room was more decorated than any of the others. His walls were covered with posters from movies, video games, heavy metal bands, anime, etc. He had tons of shelves with all kinds of collectible action figures, some still in their packaging and some in dramatic poses. On some shelves he had models of spaceships from various science fiction movies and shows, as well as hanging high from the ceiling. One corner was covered with several stacks of comic books and manga, and there were several bookcases filled with novels, books on various subjects, and old textbooks he had salvaged from school dumpsters.

Don also had a desk set up with several computers and three different LCD monitors. Next to it was a rack with all kinds of DVDs, games, and various software programs. Next to the desk he had a powerful server, on which he hosted his own series of websites.

After Master Splinter had allowed Don to study at the library alone, he began spending every moment he could reading books or surfing the net. His knowledge expanded quickly, and he eventually sneaked into classrooms at all the local colleges and planted bugs, sending audio and video feed to his computer back in his room. Through this method, he learned much, and eventually built his current computer station.

Donny learned how to create fake IDs and thus became Donald Atello. He used his new identity to rent several of the storage units in the building above, having internet set up there as well. His server was connected to that line, and he made money by doing online tech support and web design, and having the profits sent to a prepaid card via PayPal.

Donny locked his door behind him as he always did, then headed out to the dining room for dinner. They all sat down and began stuffing their faces with the deliciously warm pizza. After they were done and Mikey burped so loud it startled Raph, Splinter crossed his fingers and smiled.

"My sons. In a few months, you will be sixteen years old. Nearly men. Since the time you were but infants, I taught you the principles of pride and honor. I instructed you in the ways of Ninjutsu, and you each chose your weapons and your bandanas to distinguish yourselves. You have grown into mighty warriors, and while you will always require training - all smart warriors realize they do - I feel you are ready to take a step further into the adult world."

The four turtles looked up at Master Splinter, slightly confused. "Tonight, you will go topside without me. Previously, I have only trusted you to do so for short periods of time, but from now on, you are free to come and go as you please, so long as you behave and attend lessons as usual. Do not betray my trust, my sons."

The turtles thanked their sensei, and prepared to go topside. Little did they know the dangers they would run into that night, or the life changing events that would alter their entire existence in the days and weeks to come.

The turtles loved going out at night, because as long as they stayed out of sight, they did not have to don their disguises. They hopped along the rooftops, armed with their weapons for a fun night of training. They had been forbidden to interfere with the affairs of humans, but longed to jump to the streets below and crush some gangster skulls. Raphael hated this the most, often arguing with Leonardo every time they heard a police siren or witnessed a mugging in an alley below.

"Okay, for our first training exercise, we'll race from here to the east junkyard," instructed Leo. Raph sighed and crossed him arms, then nodded. "Stay in the shadows, don't let anyone see you. Ready, set, go!"

All four turtles leaped in different directions, hopping and flipping over rooftops, all making their own route to the junkyard. Leo took a straight course, swinging on power lines when needed. He thought he was in the lead, but a few blocks down he thought he saw a glimpse of green up on some taller buildings. He smirked and pushed himself to run faster.

As the junkyard came into view, Leo jumped down from a roof, flipped in midair, and landed in the vast parking lot that separated the dump from the old abandoned recycling plant. As his feet touched the asphalt, Leo noticed Raph landing several yards away. They glared at each other, and both made a mad dash for the junkyard. They pushed themselves to the limit, and there was a blur of green, blue, and red as they entered the dump.

"I won!" exclaimed Raph, pumping his fist into the air. "How do ya like _that!"_

"No you didn't!" retorted Leo. They were both out of breath. "I was clearly an inch ahead of you!"

"That's bullshit!" spat Raph, pointing. "You just ain't capable of acceptin' defeat!"

"I will accept defeat once I am actually defeated!" snarled Leo. "Now quit acting like a little child and let's find the others."

Raph turned and stared intensely at his brother, hating him at that moment. He pushed his face very close to Leo's, pointed a finger at him, and growled, "Screw you!"

"Actually," said Don as he walked up, "it was a tie. But it doesn't really matter, you both lost."

"What?" Leo and Raph said together. Don smiled and pointed up. They followed his gaze to see Mikey sitting on the top of the fence that enclosed most of the junkyard.

"It's about time you dudes got here," he said with a chuckle. "I guess I'm just too awesome for you guys!" Mikey threw his head back and laughed out loud, causing Raph to spin around and kick the fence. Mikey yelped out and flapped his arms as he lost his balance and fell back onto the ground. Raph smirked.

Leo and Raph began to argue again, when suddenly they heard an earth-shattering scream from somewhere nearby. All four turtles ran and hopped atop the nearest building, jumped across rooftops until they came to the source of the scream - several gang members had a young woman backed into a wall in an alley. By the tattoos on their bodies, it was apparent they were Purple Dragons. As they looked closer at the woman, they realized she was just a teenager, probably still in high school.

"You got a real purty mouth, little girl," said one of the gangbangers.

"And a nice ass to go with it," chimed in another. "We're gonna have some fun with you tonight." The girl screamed again. Raph took a step forward, ready to leap down to her rescue, when Leo grabbed his arm, hard.

"Raph, we can't," Leo said, though it obviously pained him to do so. "Master Splinter said we are not to interfere."

"Are you gonna stand here and let those filthy punks rape and possibly kill that poor girl?" Raph stared at Leo, his eyes starting to water up. She was such a beautiful young woman, long red hair and sparkling green eyes. The very thought of her being violated was unbearable to Raph. "I ain't gonna stand by and let this happen. I'm tired of hidin' like a buncha cowards."

"Raph, don't!" said Leo, but it was too late - he had leaped from the roof, bounced off a fire escape and landed in the alley, standing between the girl and the gang. The girl screamed again and passed out.

"Haha, thanks pal, you just made our night easier," chuckled one of the thugs. "Now she won't put up a fight! I owe you one, buddy. Say, uh, is there a reason you're dressed up like a giant turtle? Are you parta some new gang?"

"You guys disgust me," spat Raph in a harsh whisper. "If you want her, you gotta go through me first!" The five thugs smiled, pulled out brass knuckles and knives, and closed in around Raph.

"And us, too," came the voice of Don as the other three turtles jumped into the alley to aid their brother. The two groups stared at each other.

"You're going down, dudes," promised Mikey, and the battle began. The gangsters were amazed how quick their opponents moved and how easily their weapons deflected the knives. They tried their best to fight the green freaks, but the turtles just kept jumping and flipping around, matching every blow with their own weapons. As one gangster came at Leo, he spun around and stabbed his katana into the man's shoulder, grabbing the hand that held the knife and squeezed hard. There was a loud crunch, and the man screamed and dropped the knife as his wrist was shattered. Leo brought both katanas into a scissor shape in front of the thug's throat, but after seeing the fear in the man's eyes, spun around and clocked him hard in the forehead with the hilt of one of the swords, knocking him unconscious.

One of the other gangsters tried to kick Raph, resulting in him falling to the ground screaming, his calf impaled on a sai. The turtle ripped his sai out and then dropped his elbow onto the man's nose, breaking it and knocking him out as well. Mikey gave a thumbs up as another thug fell out cold, his face bruised from the turtle's nunchaku. Don was spinning his bo staff above his head, and made quick work of the remaining two gangsters.

"Told ya you guys were going down," said Mikey. "So, uh, what do we do now?"

"Use their clothes to tie their hands together," said Leo. "Then we'll call the cops from a payphone and vanish." They rushed to do so, ending up with the five men in a circle, their backs to each other and their hands all tied together.

"What about the girl?" asked Don.

"The cops will take care of her," replied Leo.

"But it'll take 'em at least a half-hour to get here!" exclaimed Raph. "She's unconscious and vulnerable. What if more of them come around?"

"What else can we do, Raph?" demanded Leo harshly. "We can't take her to the hospital, we don't have our disguises with us."

"I'm bringin' her back to the lair," said Raph, matter-of-factly. He stepped toward her. Leo grabbed his arm.

"No, you're not." he said coldly.

"Let go of my arm, Leo," said Raph warningly, then shrugged his brother's hand off and proceeded to pick up the girl. He was surprised how light she was. His elder brother sighed loudly, but Raph ignored him and vanished into the shadows. Leo followed him angrily.

"Can we keep her?" Mike asked Don, who just shook his head and vanished. "What?" said Mikey as he followed.

"I'm sorry, Sensei, I tried to stop him," said Leo as Splinter came out to find his four sons and a young woman unconscious on the couch. They explained to their father all about the screaming girl and the fight that followed. He listened quietly until they had finished, and then sighed.

"My sons, I ordered you to remain hidden for your own protection," explained Splinter. "The people of this world would not understand us. They would fear us because we are not human. This is why we _must_remain in the shadows."

"But Master Splinter," persisted Raph, "we have the power to help these people. How can we just sit back and not do somethin'?"

"You know, in my comic books, there is this superhero named Spider-Man," added Donny. "His philosophy is that with great power there must also come great responsibility. If we have the power to help those weaker than ourselves, then by all means, we are obligated to."

Mikey jumped up and down, trembling with excitement. "Does that mean we get to dress up like superheroes? I call dibs on Turtle Titan for my name! Hahaha!" he began jumping around and striking Superman-like poses, every few minutes going, "Da da dada!"

"It doesn't matter whether we should or shouldn't help people," said Leo, "what matters is that Master Splinter gave us a direct order. He knows best, and if he thinks it's too risky to expose ourselves to help others, then we will abide by his wishes. _All_of us."

Just as Raph turned to confront his brother, Splinter's voice rang out. "Enough. Although I gave you a direct order, I cannot punish you for following your hearts. There is no shame in being a protector of others. I still expect you to remain invisible when outside of these walls or without a disguise, but if fate calls upon you to aide someone in need, you have my permission."

Raph started to say something, but their attention was drawn to Mikey, who had just jumped on the back of the couch with a loud war cry. "Nanananananana Turtle Titan!" he sang, pretending to fly as he leaped from the back of the couch onto the recliner.

"Michelangelo!" hissed Splinter. "Quit jumping on the furniture!" Just then, the girl on the other couch began to stir. They all turned to look as she sat up and rubbed her head. She opened her eyes, and after a minute they focused.

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" she screamed as she saw the turtles. They were so startled they screamed as well. Mikey stumbled backwards and fell over the other couch.

"Miss, please remain calm," said Master Splinter, causing her to scream again.

"Okay okay okay okay okay," she said quickly, "I, uh, I must be dreaming. Yeah, that's it. I'm dreaming."

"This ain't no dream, lady," said Raph. She turned her head sharply to look at him, then squinted.

"Hey, wait a sec... You're the guy that jumped in front of me in that alley." She thought for a minute, and then started laughing. "Okay, I get it. You guys wear these suits to scare bad guys, right? Well, thank you, and a job well done, I assume?" she laughed again and clapped her hands.

"Ma'am, these are not suits. We really are turtles," explained Don. She just scoffed.

"Yeah, sure, okay." she waved a hand, disregarding his claim. "Where am I?"

"You are in our lair in the sewers beneath the city," Splinter said. She looked disgusted.

"Eeew!" she exclaimed. "That's gross. I'm going to have to take an extra long shower when I get home. When are you guys going to take off those stupid masks?"

"What is your name, miss?" asked Splinter.

"April O'Neil."

"Well, Miss O'Neil, you may believe as you wish. My sons will escort you home." She started to get up, tripped, and fell towards Splinter, her hand touching his wrist. She gasped, pulling her hand away - she had felt his pulse, and real, warm skin, not a suit. As April looked at them all in horror once again, Splinter slowly explained the origin story he had told the turtles, even if it was a lie.

"I find this very hard to believe," she said, sipping the green tea they had just given her. "I mean, I know there's all kinds of genetic advancements out there, but this? And by accident in a sewer, not in a controlled environment? I don't know... My instincts tell me this can't be real, but I see you and - and I felt you. I just don't know. I need to go home and get some rest."

"Would you like us to make sure you get home safely, April?" asked Leo. She started to say no, but remembered the gangsters in the alley and finally agreed.

"Thank you, guys," said April as they stopped in front of her building. "You know, for saving me and all. I'd invite you in, but my parents'd freak. I'm still not sure I believe this is real, but dream or not, I'm glad you guys came to my rescue."

They all said good night and April walked up to the door of her building. She turned around, but the turtles had already vanished. She smiled to herself and headed up to her apartment. None of them knew that the the dark stirrings among the criminal underworld of the city would soon haunt them, or the terrible evil at its source...

_To be continued..._


	2. The Counterfeit

**Chapter 02: The Counterfeit**

It was well after midnight in New York City, and four pairs of eyes watched the street from high atop a building. They followed a teenage girl who was headed to an unknown destination, her long red hair styled and curled. She wore a short skirt and sleeveless top, clearly dressed for a party. As she turned a corner, the four sets of eyes followed her silently.

"Is she tryin' to get attacked again?" said Raph, obviously irritated. "I mean, seriously. It's after freakin' midnight!"

"I wonder where April is going at this hour," commented Don. "She looks like she's dressed for a party or something."

"I wonder if they'll have pizza there," wondered Mikey. "Hey, do you think we could-"

"No!" said Leo, Don, and Raph at the same time, cutting Mikey off. They hopped along the rooftops as April made her way to whatever her destination was, and soon the sound of loud dance music could be heard coming from an old abandoned warehouse. The bass was vibrating the walls, and as the turtles got closer, their shells. They watched as April opened the door to the building and stepped inside, getting a glimpse of flashing lights and other youths dancing.

"Man, that party's really hopping," said Mikey excitedly. "I could just grab a disguise, go in and keep and eye on April. You know, just in case."

"No," said Leo simply.

"But, what if I-" started Mikey.

"No. NO." repeated Leo. Mikey sighed. Although he wanted to party, they had all grown protective of the girl in the last few days. It was just under a week ago when they had first brought her to their lair, and she had been back every day since to talk with them and hang out. She seemed to get along best with Donatello, as both shared a passion for science and technology. Around them, she acted like the girly geek she was. That was why it was so hard to believe she was sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to a party – it just wasn't her. They had walked her home like they always did, and then began training in the area. When they spotted red hair a few hours later, they followed her and realized it was April.

The turtles now waited on the roof across the street from the party, wanting to make sure she got back home safe. Mikey kept bugging Leo to let him go, who was growing rather annoyed. Raph smirked at Leo's misery and lightly tapped his foot to the beat of the music. Don wasn't at all interested in the party, and had plopped down to surf the net while they waited. He was using the mobile web browser of a large touchscreen smartphone he had taken apart, enhanced, rebuilt, and reprogrammed himself. He had actually built several of them and given one to Splinter, his brothers, and April, so they could all stay in contact better. The T-Coms, as they were called, had video chat capabilities and connected to advanced 4G wireless networks, as well as sturdy cases on their belts to keep them in so they didn't get damaged during fights.

"Hey Donny," said Mikey, getting bored bugging Leo, "how come you didn't put any cool games on these phones? I mean, I've been bugging you for _months _for a new PlayStation 3, and when you _finally_ give me something, it's a boring phone. It's got internet, but it can't run any cool games!"

"Mikey," Don sighed, "if I give you everything you want, you'll never learn to work for it yourself. I worked hard to get what I have, and I _do_ put a large chunk of my money towards the family – you do remember the fact that I just recently upgraded the den's entertainment center with a new plasma flatscreen and a digital surround system, right?"

"Yeah..." mumbled Mikey.

"Well..." said Don. "And don't forget the hundreds of channels we get because I hooked up digital cable using my fake identity. And the wireless network at the lair."

"Yeah, yeah," said Mikey. "I get your point. But I'm still bored." He rested his head on his hands as he leaned against the raised edge of the building, sulking. They were all distracted, when suddenly, they heard a loud crash and screams coming from the party.

"What the hell?" said Raph as the four of them turned sharply to the warehouse. They hopped down and ran over to look in a window, keeping low. Inside, there were several teenagers with Purple Dragon markings that had crashed the party and started knocking tables over. It was then that the turtles got a clear view of who was throwing the party – the Horned Skulls, a huge rival gang of the Dragons. Everywhere, there were teenagers and young adults wearing demonic skulls on their clothing and tattoos, and more Dragons had just poured into the warehouse.

"Gah... Dammit!" growled Raph. "Why the hell is April hangin' out with these people? Them Skulls ain't no better than the Dragons!"

"I don't know, but they are starting to fight each other..." commented Don. The two gangs had pulled out weapons and started attacking each other, and because some of the Dragons were at the door, no one could escape. They saw April and some other girls that the gang had no doubt lured in cowering in a corner.

"We gotta do something..." said Raph.

"We can't go in there..." replied Leo slowly. Raph turned and glared at him.

"You heard what Splinter said!" he said to Leo. Leo shook his head.

"I don't mean that. Look at all the people in there. It's going to be hard to stick to the shadows with so many prying eyes. Next thing you know, it'll be all over the news – " Leo was cut off by a loud crack, followed by more.

"Those dudes started shooting at each other!" exclaimed Mikey. "They have guns!"

"Fuck the shadows! Someone's gonna get killed!" growled Raph as he crashed through a window, pulled out his sais, and started flipping and rolling around, disarming gang members of both sides.

"Dammit, Raph!" said Leo before jumping in after his brother.

"Well, at least I finally get to go to the party!" said Mikey as he jumped into the fray as well. Donny sighed, then followed. Everyone in the warehouse seemed shocked to see four guys dressed like turtles kicking their butts. They turned their guns and started shooting at the green freaks, who's enhanced speed and agility made it easy to jump and hop and dodge the bullets.

"God, who are these freaks?" yelled one gang member.

"They must be some superhero wannabes or somethin'!" cried another.

"Dudes!" exclaimed Mikey. "They called us superheroes! Awesome!" The other three just rolled their eyes and kept on fighting. All over the room, the people firing guns suddenly saw a flash of green and then their wrists were bent or shattered, preventing them from using their guns. They screamed out before their heads were met with the hilt of a sword, a nunchaku, or a sai. Donny was only fighting as necessary, getting the girls out of the warehouse was his first priority. He took a second to just look at April with sadness in his eyes, and she looked down at the floor, ashamed. As soon as the girls were outside, he told them to run to safety and then jumped back into the fight.

One Dragon pulled a machine gun out of a bag and started firing at the whole room in a panic, desperate to get the turtles, even if he had to take out his own gang. Screams filled the room, blood splattered the walls and floor, dead bodies went crashing down, riddled with bullet holes. The turtles jumped to the sides of the room and flipped around to avoid getting shot, and then a very angry Raph sent a sai flying towards the machine gun wielding Dragon.

"Ugh!" yelled the Dragon as the sai dug into his forehead. The machine gunfire stopped, and he fell to the floor, dead. Raph went over and ripped his sai out of the man's head, and then turned to continue the fight, but it seemed all the gang members were either down or fleeing. They heard sirens approaching, and all four turtles ran out the door. The girls had fled, all but April, who was still in the area.

"April, what are you still doing here?" asked Leo. But before she could say anything, Raph grabbed her and all four turtles hopped out of sight as police cars came tearing into the parking lot. A few rooftops away, he set her down.

"What the fuck were you doin' hangin' out with these thugs?" demanded Raph. She just looked down at her feet again. "Well?"

"Now that I think about it," said Donny, "I'd say it's pretty likely she was hanging out with these guys the night we rescued her. The Dragons must have followed her."

"April, we risked a lot to save you tonight," said Leo. "We deserve some answers."

"Okay, okay," she said, finally. "I've been sneaking out at night to hang with the Skulls because there's this guy at school I really like... Since classes are out for the summer, I can't see him, but had heard he was a Skull. I was trying to be cool and act like a bad girl so he'd notice me..."

"So, you were bein' a fake, a counterfeit," said Raph quietly. "And gettin' us dragged into it in the process..."

"April," said Don, "if a guy can't accept you as you are, he's not worth your time. You don't need to change who you are just to impress some street thug..."

"I know... I'm sorry..." April started to cry into her hands. Don hugged her. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry, April," said Mikey, "you'll find a guy that is just as geeky as you."

After taking some time to let April calm down, they escorted her home, and then sat atop the roof across the street, watching for a while to make sure she wasn't going to sneak out again. Life could be tough for a teenager trying to find their place in the world, as the turtles knew all too well. Once they were sure she wasn't going anywhere, they set about their training, but suddenly got a phone call from Splinter.

"Where are you?" he demanded angrily. "Nevermind. I don't care. Get home. Now." and then he hung up. The four turtles looked at each other nervously, and made their way back to the lair.

"Stand before me, at once!" demanded Master Splinter as the boys entered the lair. They lined up in front of their father, each one clearly concerned. He paced back and forth in front of his sons, his face wearing a furious glare. "Did I not tell you to be invisible? Did I not tell you remain in the shadows?"

"But Sensei, we did, we -" Leo started.

"Do not lie to me!" snarled their father, his eyes blazing with both fear and rage. He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "Look!"

The four turtles turned and saw a newscast on the screen that Splinter had paused using their DVR. "We are keeping you constantly updated as we learn new information on the events that have transpired tonight. If you are just joining us, there has been a terrible gang shoot out at an old warehouse on Fletcher and Reed. The chaos started after the Purple Dragons arrived at a party hosted by the Horned Skulls, two of the most notorious gangs on the streets that have had a very open rivalry. There's blood and corpses everywhere, but a few of the surviving participants are claiming the conflict was started by four men dressed as turtles. Who are these men and what is their motive? We will keep you up to date as -" Splinter turned off the TV. He turned and glared at them.

"Master Splinter, we were following April because she sneaked off after we had dropped her off," explained Leo. "We saw she was at a party, and then the Dragons showed up. We did not start the battle, but we were scared for the safety of the people at the party, including April and some other girls. Then Raph took off inside after I told him not to, and then we all got pulled into the fight..."

"Don't you blame this on me!" screamed Raph.

"Enough!" commanded Splinter.

"Master Splinter," said Raph, his eyes watering up. "We couldn't just stand by. People were gonna get hurt. You said we could help people if fate called on us..."

"And yet people were killed, despite your interference. Or perhaps, because of it," said Splinter. He then sighed. "I know the desire to help can be strong, but you _must_ not be seen by any more humans..."

"But why?" asked Raph, emotions high. "If they just think we're guys dressed like turtles, then they won't know we're not really human."

"My sons," said Splinter quietly, his rage calmed some, "if people come to see you as some sort of heroes – or worse, villains – it will direct a lot of attention to our family. What if someone follows you home and discovers our lair? Somehow, some way, someone will discover the truth."

"So what? Why do we have to keep hidin' like a buncha cowards?" asked Raph. "Why can't we just let the world know who and what we are?"

"If people knew there were mutants living in the sewers, the government would be all over it," said Don. "They'd capture us and dissect us to see what makes us tick. Master Splinter is right, guys..."

"My sons..." said Splinter. "You know I love you, but until this all cools down, I forbid you from leaving the lair."

"But Master Splinter!" started Raph, but a glare from his father shut him up. Without further resistance, the turtles all went to bed for the night. They all pondered what their father said and what had happened, and contemplated how horrible it would be if the government broke down their door and took them all captive.

After several days, the turtles were still stuck in their lair. The media was having a field day with the "Turtle Gang," as they were now called. Tensions were high being pent up in the lair, and Mikey's jokes were annoying everyone. At one point, he had annoyed Raph so much that Raph had knocked Mikey over and prepared to beat him to a pulp. Before his fist came down, Splinter grabbed it.

"I... I... I can't take this anymore! Being all pent up! I need some air!" cried Raph, his eyes watering up. Before anyone could stop him, he took off out of the lair. A few minutes later, he was resting on a rooftop, looking out over the city. He hated himself for attacking Mikey, for losing control of his anger, again. _What's wrong with me?_ he screamed to himself in his mind. After taking a few minutes to cool off, he went for a run, hopping along rooftops.

As Raph was hopping along, suddenly something hit him in the back of the head. He tripped and fell forward, then turned to see a baseball had been sent flying at him from behind. He grabbed the ball, angry, and turned to see a figure jumping down from a raised platform. Before Raph could do anything, another ball was thrown at him. He caught it.

"Ha, is that the best you got-" before he could finish his sentence, the figure had rushed forward, using the ball as a decoy. Suddenly the ground rushed up to meet Raph's head, his skull exploding with pain. The figure had swung a wooden bat into the side of the turtle's head, and was raising it to do so again. His vision was blurry, but Raph was able to see the figure was a man wearing a hockey mask.

"I got enough problems dealin' with the Dragons and the Skulls," said the masked man, "but now I got a gang of freaks dressed like a buncha turtles too? I'm gonna put your lights out right now, pal..."

On the other side of the city, inside the massive tower headquarters for Stockman Industries, a tall African-American man sat behind a desk in a luxurious office. He was rather well-built, with a shaved head, short goatee, and thin glasses. He was dressed in an expensive suit, and his deep voice rang out in the room as he talked on his phone.

"Yes, I've seen the reports. Are you sure? That's all you've found out? Okay. Okay. Fine." he hung up the phone and sighed angrily. He looked up suddenly as a figure stepped out of the shadows. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," said a female voice, thick with a Japanese accent. She came over and sat down on the other side of the desk. A young woman, probably still in her twenties. She was clearly Asian, had dark eyes and long black hair tied back, and was dressed in a black catsuit with a belt full of small gadgets. "I take it the search does not go well?"

"No..." replied the man, who's name plaque on the desk said BAXTER STOCKMAN. "I've had the Dragons and every other gang we control scouring the city, but there is no sign of these turtles anywhere. Why are they of such significance? Your father was not very informative."

"My father only reveals what he sees fit," she said as she got to her feet and headed towards a window.

"Karai, wait," said Stockman. "If you tell me why they are so important, it might help me find them."

"All you need to know is that my father will not take it well should you fail to locate them. The Foot cannot send any operatives here right now, we are overwhelmed as it is keeping things in order back in Japan. I came to remind you how easy it is for us to sneak up on you from the shadows, should we need to," explained Karai.

"Yes, you have sufficiently frightened me into understanding," said Stockman, slightly nervous. "You can strike at any time, from any angle. But I still want to know why these turtles are so vital."

"The Shredder's past is tightly intertwined with the pasts of these turtles," said Karai, annoyed. "Do not ask me again. That is all I can tell you. Your job is to capture them, and if they prove to be the ones my father is looking for, you will receive a visit from him. Fail him, and he will find another to be the director of his interests in New York. And if my father becomes angry enough to terminate your partnership, you need not worry about anything else ever again..." With that, Karai jumped out the window and vanished.

"What have I gotten myself into..." said Stockman with a heavy sigh, wiping the sweat off his forehead. He saw his phone light up, and answered it. "Yes? What? You've sighted a turtle? I don't care if he's fighting a guy in a hockey mask, get your sorry asses over there now!"

_To be continued..._


	3. Ooze on the Streets

**NOTE: After a two year hiatus, I have returned to continue this series. However, from here on, each chapter will be shorter than the first two, ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 words each, but I hope to try and update at least once or twice a week. That schedule is not written in stone and will not always happen, but that is what I am shooting for. Thank you for those that have read my story and continue to do so, and please, if you like what I write, spread the word and tell your friends. :).**

**Thank you.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 03: Ooze on the Street<strong>

As the wooden bat came slamming down again, Raphael managed to roll out of the way, then pushed off the roof with his hands and jumped to his feet. As the man wearing the hockey mask came at him again, he was able to get a better look – the man was tall and muscular, the hood of his black sweater pulled up over his head. He wore dark blue jeans, black shoes and gloves designed for extra grip, and a single-strap backpack, probably filled with more baseballs and other objects for throwing. Along the chest strap Raph could also make out several sheathed knives.

The turtle dodged Hockeyman again, spinning around and kicking him in the side. He noticed the man had a holster on the back of the bag for holding two bats, one of which he was currently using to try and smash Raph's skull. He tried to reach for the bat, but Hockeyman spun around faster than he should have been able to and kicked the turtle in the gut, which he felt quite well despite his shell.

_How the hell can he move so fast?_ Raph thought to himself as he dodged a second kick. He tried to explain to the guy that the Turtle Gang wasn't actually a gang, but this freak would not ease up enough for the turtle to finish his sentence.

"Newsflash, Bonehead!" Raph yelled out after he knocked Hockeyman down and found an opening to speak. "I ain't no gangbanger! Don't believe them liars! We were trying to help at that party!"

"Save it for your maker, pal!" yelled Hockeyman as he got back up and came at Raph again. The turtle sighed.

"We're on the same side, ya idiot!" he yelled as he dodged the bat again.

"Doubt it!" He would not let up.

After a few more dodges, Raph had his sais pressed up against Hockeyman's bat, when suddenly a thundering crack filled the air, followed by several others. Right next to Raph's head on the roof access door he was backed up against were several gunshot holes, and a piece of his headband strap fell to the floor. Raph and Hockeyman turned and saw several Purple Dragons on the building across the street, then saw more coming up the fire escape of the building they were on. More thugs popped up on other roofs, some Purple Dragons, some from allied gangs such as the Jackrabbits and the Black Dawn, which was more of a devil-worshiping cult than a gang.

"Do not harm the turtle!" yelled a large man as he came up the fire escape and walked towards Raph and Hockeyman. He must have been at least seven feet tall and ripped like a bodybuilder. He had a Purple Dragon tattoo swirling up his left arm, and kept his blonde hair in a long braid. "We are to bring him in _alive. _The hockey man here, however, you may kill."

"We're gonna have to work together if we wanna get out of this," Raph whispered to Hockeyman. "I ain't a criminal. Trust me."

Just then, several of the Purple Dragons on the other roof began firing at Hockeyman, and Raph moved to rescue him, but he managed to dodge the bullets on his own. _What the hell? How is he able to move like that?_ The turtle thought to himself. Then he felt himself being grabbed by a giant set of arms. He kicked away, spun around, and faced the apparent leader of the Purple Dragons.

Hockeyman took a running leap and landed on the roof with the guys that had shot at him, and within a few seconds they were knocked out cold by his baseball bat. Then he hopped over to the roof that had a group of Black Dawn and a few Jackrabbits and started busting skulls. Meanwhile, Raphael was fighting off the Dragons that were trying to capture him, then jumped and spin-kicked the leader in the head as he came forward again. The hilts of Raph's sais met several heads, knocking his attackers out left and right, followed by frequent kicks.

"Hun, we may need to knock him out!" one of the Dragons said to the leader.

"I'm trying!" growled Hun back.

After a few minutes, the remaining attackers were all on one roof, with Raph and Hockeyman back-to-back fighting them off. Then suddenly, they heard sirens coming and a police helicopter headed in their direction.

"Dammit! Let's get out of here!" yelled Hun, and the gang members that were still conscious took off in all directions. Raph and Hockeyman followed suit, hopped a few roofs over, then hid in the bushes of a rooftop penthouse garden.

"So, do you believe me now?" said Raph, out of breath. Hockeyman looked at him for a minute, then lifted up his mask and extended a hand.

"The name's Casey Jones," he replied. His face was that of a young man in his late teens.

"Raphael," the turtle shook Casey's hand.

"What, you ain't got a last name?"

"It's a little hard to explain.." said Raph. Casey was silent for a moment.

"So, if you ain't a gang member, why you sippin' on Ooze?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, Ooze," said Casey. "The green slimy stuff that makes you stronger and faster? I know you got some, otherwise you wouldn't be able to move the way you did."

"I don't sip no damn Ooze," replied Raph, then raised an eyebrow ridge. "I'm guessing you do, though."

"Hey, whatever buddy," he laughed, "I know you're sippin'. As for me, I have no choice. It's the only way I stand a chance against these thugs. I stole a batch from the Dragons a few weeks ago."

"What exactly is this Ooze?" asked Raph. Casey shrugged.

"I dunno. Some new drug that recently came out. Being passed around the gangs. When you drink it, you feel full of energy. Stronger, faster, more aware. You basically become a total bad-ass until the shit wears off. But you know all this."

"Hey, pal, I ain't no druggie," said Raph. Casey scoffed.

"Look man, I think I get it," he said with a sigh. "You wanna dress up like a turtle and do the whole superhero thing. Kind of like what I'm doin' with the hockey mask. You don't want it to be known you're sippin' Ooze. But listen, pal – sooner or later someone will find out, because you can't be movin' that fast any other way. Get it?"

"So you justify doin' drugs for yourself?"

"Hey, I do what I gotta do," said Casey quietly. "A few years back, my family lived in a bad neighborhood. It was all we could afford. My old man was workin' three jobs to keep the lights on and food on the table. I wanted to drop out of school and get a job to help out, but he insisted on me stayin' and eventually goin' to college, so I didn't end up like him. But I was never any good at school."

"And what does this have to do with the Ooze?"

"I'm gettin' there," explained Casey, looking into the distance with sad eyes. "One day, a Skull came bustin' into our home and held me and Mom hostage. He was hidin' from a group of Dragons that were chasin' him or somethin'. Anyway, my old man came home from his night job and the Skull freaked. Shot my old man right in front of me. The Dragons heard the shot, and lit my house up. Windows crashin', bullets flyin'. Woke up three days later in the hospital. I got shot five times, but they were able to save me. But not my mom. It was then that I became determined to fight these fuckers that took my family away from me. All gang members. Any gang members. I didn't want this to happen to anyone else."

"Damn..." said Raph, shaking his head. "I'm sorry to hear that, man."

"That was about three years ago now," he went on. "Once I got out of the hospital, I started workin' out and takin' martial arts and stuff. Dropped out of school so I could train more. A few weeks back, Ooze hit the streets, I jacked some, and it was time to strike."

"If all these damn gangbangers are on the Ooze too, how come you tore them apart so easily?" asked Raph.

"Cuz," explained Casey, "Word on the street is you take too much, you end up dead. But I got nothing to live for cept revenge, so I tripled the dose."

"So against us, a single dose of Ooze doesn't really help these guys in a fight." said Raph.

"Yeah," agreed Casey, "but I thought I was the only one crazy enough to down that much Ooze."Raph frowned.

"Look, I ain't on the Ooze." Casey scoffed again.

"Yeah, you got bit by a radioactive turtle, right? And now you dress up like one to fight crime?"

"No," said Raph, staring out over the city. "I'm a mutant. Fifteen years ago, my brothers and I were just normal turtles. We got covered in a green slime that sounds kinda like this Ooze you're talkin' about, and we changed forever."

"So instead of sippin' Ooze, you bathed in Ooze. Still Ooze, man." laughed Casey. Raph shook his head.

"Listen, idiot," he said. "You said Ooze came out a few weeks ago. I'm talkin' fifteen _years_ ago. Maybe they are related, but I ain't sippin' none of what you're talkin' about."

"Whatever, man," Casey waved his hand. "I think the coast is clear. See ya later, gackface!"

"Don't get yourself killed, hosebrain!" said Raph as Casey jumped down a fire escape and out of sight. He then made his way down to the alley and hopped inside a sewer opening. A few moments later, a second person slipped in...

* * *

><p>"I''m kind of worried, Master Splinter," said Leo. "Raph's been gone a while. Should we go and look for him?"<p>

"No," replied Splinter. "If all four of you are up there, it increases the chances of someone seeing you." Leo sighed quietly.

"Yes, Sensei." He walked back towards his bedroom, stopping for a brief moment to look towards the kitchen. Mikey had headphones on and was dancing while he mixed something in a large bowl. "What're you making?"

"Huh?" asked Mikey as he pulled the headphones to the side. Leo asked again. "Oh, dude, you're gonna love these. I call 'em Ninja Brownies!"

"Is something burning?" asked Leo as he sniffed. Mikey's eyes widened.

"Oh no, my first batch!" he cried as he ran over and opened the oven. Smoke poured out, the fire alarm went off, and Donnie yelped out from the couch, having been so engrossed in a scary movie that the loud beeping nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Shut up," said Donnie as Leo and Mikey busted up laughing at him. He crossed his arms and focused his attention on the movie again. After helping to clear the smoke, Leo walked to his bedroom and laid down to read the latest issue of _MMA Monthly,_ a magazine about martial arts.

A few minutes later, Raphael dashed in the door, slamming it behind him. Everyone came running into the entry way.

"What is the matter, my son?" asked Splinter. Raph was out of breath.

"I was followed," he began, "but I think I lost him in the sewers." After catching his breath, he explained about the fight with Casey, the gang attack, the Ooze that was on the streets, and the Dragon that had followed him into the sewers.

"I can't help but wonder if this new drug has anything to do with the ooze that transformed us," said Donnie. Splinter sighed. The story he had told them about their creation was a lie, but he couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth. Not yet, anyway. For now, they would go on believing they were created by mutagen in the sewers.

"What bothers me," began Leo, "is that the Dragons had orders to capture Raph alive. Who gave that order? Some gang leader who wants revenge for the fight the other day at the party?"

"This concerns me, as well," agreed Splinter. "A dark cloud hangs over our family. We must be cautious."

The next day, April called the turtles and warned them that when she tried to come over, she noticed the sewers were crawling with Purple Dragons, Jackrabbits, and Black Dawn. The turtles knew right away what they were looking for and were forced to hide in their lair...

* * *

><p>"I am growing impatient, Hun," said Baxter Stockman, his voice ringing out from a computer monitor during a video chat.<p>

"Look Stockman," replied the large man, pacing in front of the desk, "we've been combing the sewers for days. There's no sign of the turtles. We need a new plan."

"And what exactly do you suggest?" he snapped. "You and I both are as good as dead if we don't deliver. The Shredder commands an army of ninja assassins, and I'm told he is closely linked with several Yakuza groups. Incentive enough?"

"That doesn't change the fact that we can't find the turtles!" Hun snapped back. Stockman sighed loudly, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and index finger. "The best I can give you is a piece of a turtle's headband."

"What?" Stockman's head shot up. "You have a piece of material that the turtle wore?" Hun nodded. The scientist smiled.

"What are you thinking?" asked Hun.

"I'll reactivate the Mouser Project..." said Stockman with a bit of excitement. "I invented them to purge the city of the plague of rats, but those damn activists said my creations were inhumane, and they cried and bitched loud enough that my father shut my project down and slapped me with this damn desk job. I'm meant to be in the lab, not in charge of finances. I really can not wait for the old man to croak so I can inherit the company."

"How will the mousers help?"

"Use your brain, you idiot," he said. "I'll use the headband to retrieve microscopic traces of DNA – most likely sweat – and program the mousers to follow the scent. I'll release them into the sewers to track down the turtles. We'll have them in no time."

"Ah, I see," said Hun.

"Soon the Shredder will have what he seeks, and in return he will provide a plethora of contracts with Japanese corporations..." Stockman smiled ear to ear.

_To be continued..._


End file.
